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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
I had the great pleasure of meeting Marguerite at the Emirates Festival of Literature in Dubai earlier this year and read her book in preparation for her session. The story about her life was interesting and unique, but found that the book lacked emotions. Being from Europe and married to an Arab myself, I would have loved to find out more about her feelings, as well as about how she raised their kids, and even her every-day struggles as she came from a totally different background.
I admire Marguerite for her strong love, that really conquered all, in the end leaving behind her modern life to live in the caves of Petra with the man who captured her heart.
I admire Marguerite for her strong love, that really conquered all, in the end leaving behind her modern life to live in the caves of Petra with the man who captured her heart.
Great in parts. I missed Petra dearly! Was taken back to my own sun-soaked day there. :)
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
The writing style left a lot to be desired, but it was an interesting story.
The only thing that keeps me from really, whole-heartedly loving this book is the part where she smokes while breastfeeding her babies. Ew.
انتظرتُ عند قراءة رواية تسمى "تزوجت بدويًا" أن أجد وصفًا للحياة الاجتماعية البدوية لا أن أجد وصفًا دقيقًا مملًا للصخور والكهوف وجميع الأماكن والمناظر التي تراها !!
طغى الاهتمام بالوصف على الاهتمام بالمظاهر الاجتماعية والعلاقات .. كما أن التنقل الزمني مشتت للغاية
طغى الاهتمام بالوصف على الاهتمام بالمظاهر الاجتماعية والعلاقات .. كما أن التنقل الزمني مشتت للغاية
This was a marvellous and fascinating account of a young New Zealander falling in love with a Jordanian Petra Bedouin and making a life for herself in an environment and culture at polar opposites from her own. It was all the more richer for having visited Petra myself and actually met Marguerite and her son at her shop the day I was there. She is currently selling silver jewellery made by the local women. This book made me appreciate even more that wonderful site of Petra.
I chose to listen to Married to a Bedouin on audible.com. The memoir of a New Zealand woman who married a Jordanian bedouin, I LOVED the story, but hated the narration.
I expected an Arabic-speaking narrator, or at least correct Arabic pronunciation, but the words were so mispronounced that is was distracting to me (I speak Arabic). Having said that, I think having an Australian pronounce the Arabic was more realistic since Marguerite is a New Zealander who would've pronounced the words similarly.
Still, I loved Marguerite's story of being in her early 20's and traveling the Middle East. She ends up in Petra, Jordan, and ends up with a crush on Mohammed, a bedouin living in Petra. He liked her because a "European wife was considered a catch." Her Arabic name became Fatema, and then, when her soon was born, Umm Raami (mother of Raami).
The two married in no time, and Marguerite, born and raised in developed New Zealand, found herself settling in to her life with Mohammed in a cave.
What was most interesting was how Umm Raami settled into her life as the wife of an Arab. She learned Arabic, respected the customs, and settled in living in the wadi, or valley, including using donkeys, selling items to tourists, and climbing up the jabal, or mountain.
>mm Raami clearly appreciates Arab culture and bedouin life, and I LOVED how she showed the beauty of Arab culture, the hospitality, generosity, and the richness of their history.
I was planning on an early night, but I had to see what it was like ... and now I haven't had enough sleep ;o)
A fascinating story and descriptions of a vanished - or at least now severely adapted - way of life that probably could not have been told by anyone else. I did have to remind myself of this once or twice when I thought the writing was a little clunky - after all, I doubt this amateur could do any better. I was glad Marg/Fatima decided to concentrate on the positive aspects of life, for it would have been easy to sensationalise some of the more dramatic but less pleasant things she mentions at the end.
A fascinating story and descriptions of a vanished - or at least now severely adapted - way of life that probably could not have been told by anyone else. I did have to remind myself of this once or twice when I thought the writing was a little clunky - after all, I doubt this amateur could do any better. I was glad Marg/Fatima decided to concentrate on the positive aspects of life, for it would have been easy to sensationalise some of the more dramatic but less pleasant things she mentions at the end.
I decided to pick this book up, because I was going to Petra in Jordan. It was really funny, because when we were there and we met a bedouin man, we told him about the book. He said: ''Marguerite stil regularly shows up, I can show you her.'' So we followed him, but unfortunately Marguerite wasn't in Petra at the moment. Still, the book really captivated me. It probably had to do with the fact that I really saw the place where she lived during the moments in her book. Because a lot of times the book tend to be a little slow or boring. It helped to know about the bedouin and Petra. 4 stars.